Telian
Statistics Common Attribution: Telian Categorical Attribution: '''Telianit Sapient '''Evolutionary Star System: Evolutionary Planet: Telios Prime Star Systems of Prominence: Population Data: 16.42 billion Civilization Class: C Physiology Analysis 'Overview' Telians '''are a sentient, bipedal, endothermal omnivorous species native to Telios Prime, in the Shiss System. '''Telians possess both vertical and horizontal symmetrical anatomy and are fur covered along their body and appendages, in several different colours and with an extensive demonstrations of markings as well as lengths. Telians 'reproduce sexually and are oviporous. 'Physical Characteristics Standing tall, the average Telian 'male measures a little over 2.1 m. There have been some '''Telian '''as tall as 2.7 m in the past, although the more recent '''Telian '(in the last century) has reduced in stature. It is conjectured that this is due to the introduction of space travel and low gravity environmental factors at a young age, although studies have been performed to determine the actual validity of these statements, no proof has yet been demonstrated. The average '''Telian '''female measures a little over 1.9 m. There have been some '''Telian '''females as tall as 2.6 m, although this is a very rare occurrence. The average '''Telian '''male weighs approximately 90 kg, although there have been extremes in both directions. The average body fat content of '''Telian '''is relatively low, due in part to a high metabolic rate and a natural tendency to physical activity. The average '''Telian female weighs approximately 75 kg, although there have been extremes in both directions. The Telian 'is a furred species, with a very sleek body covering of very dense single layer fur. The fur varies in shades from complete black to very white, with many colour variations in the natural tones of Telios Prime. 'Sensory Organs Visual: The Telian '''species, having evolved from a family of small nocturnal predators, have front facing visual organs, capable of very accurate distance evaluations, in low to medium high levels of illumination. Since '''Telians '''have evolved in a system with a bright stellar body, they have maintained the double eyelid configuration that is a standard element of much of the terrestrial fauna on Telios Prime. '''Tactile: From the cushioned pads and articulated hands and feet of their forebear, the Telians '''have evolved distinct appendages, with three primary digits and a single, opposable digit and have maintained the retractable claws that made their ancestors such successful predators. They have lost the foreleg glands that secreted a paralytic venom though. '''Olfactory: The Telians '''have a very developed olfactory system, as well as a secondary chemical analysis system that is similar in many regards to the sense of smell. Since the primitive ancestor was a rather small predator, it had evolved a very advanced method of friend-foe-prey analysis that combined olfactory and pheromonal analysis. This system has been refined within the '''Telian '''and is central to the '''Telian '''mating and many social interaction rituals. '''Supraolfactory: This is the name of the secondary olfactory system present within Telian '''adults. This secondary chemical analysis system develops when '''Telians '''reach reproductive maturity. '''Taste: The Telian '''sense of taste is quite developed, due to millennia of concern regarding prey and its preparation and its close link to the olfactory sense. '''Hearing: The sense of hearing in Telians '''is quite developed, although the '''Telian '''ears are no longer external, as they are in many other Telianisv and as such, no longer moves. Reproductive Analysis As mentioned in the overview section, Telians are an oviporous species, laying an egg (referred to as taa'laf) only if fertilisation has occurred after the ritual mating, known as tel'shia. Both male and female of the species alternate care of the unhatched egg until full maturation. The laying and hatching area is labelled a taa'l space or room. The moment of hatching, shin'ta, is a very private moment for most Telians mate pairs and is most often performed in the privacy of the home. In some rare occasions, the services of a taa'lafa are required, acting like a guide for first time parents and to be able to determine when the skills of healers may be required. Evolutionary Analysis It would appear that '''Telians '''evolved from smaller, quadriped predators on Telios Prime. Current fossil records does indicate ancestors that share many traits of the modern '''Telian '''species. One aspect that has solidified this line of thinking is the common genetic link between '''Telian '''and other subspecies on Telios Prime. It would appear that modern '''Telians '''share more than 96% of their genetic material with most lifeforms on Telios Prime, and over 98% with a group of small predators, collectively known Telianisv, which include several distinct species. From current fossil records, '''Telian '''archeologists have determined that three sentient and independent species developed on Telios Prime, but following the Cataclysm, the other two species (which included the Daa'l) were destroyed. Biological Analysis Having evolved on Telios Prime, '''Telians '''are carbon-dioxide metabolizing creatures. And as common to many life bearing worlds, the fauna has developed a symbiotic relationship with the flora. As the vast majority of the animal lifeforms on Telios are carbon-dioxide metabolizing, the great majority of the flora is oxygen metabolizing. This relationship allows for the exchange of gases necessary to maintain a balance that is equitable to both groups. It is a cycle that is theorized to be a requirement for the development of sentient life, although this remains to be proven by '''Telian '''scientists. One interesting development of '''Telians '''has been the increased survivability of young '''Telians '''attributed to the maturation stage that the '''Telian '''egg goes through once laid by a '''Telian '''female. While quite small in stature at the laying stage, the egg grows through a fairly long maturation process, and when this process is complete, the young '''Telian '''hatches. At this stage of maturation, the young '''Telian '''has almost full motor control, and can usually walk bipedally within hours of hatching. This is a level of unprecedented development, and it is believed by the scientific community to have been the genetic trait that set '''Telians '''apart from other species, and allowed them to develop the way they have. Ecological Analysis '''Telians '''have a great affinity for nature, derived from a very complete understanding of the life cycle on Telios Prime and the overall fragility of life. As such, '''Telians '''have, for many centuries now, worked very hard to maintain the quality of their world through the use of technologies that reduce the ecological footprint of their civilization. Sociological Analysis In the past, '''Telians '''lived in social groupings that were based on familial connections, which is common of many animals. What set '''Telians '''apart was the evolution of these groupings to include members that were not familial, but of a similar subspecies. As such, groupings of '''Telian '''subspecies became the norm for centuries. But over many years, these groupings, sometimes composed of hundreds, if not thousands of individuals, could no longer be described as a family unit so '''Telians began to describe these larger groups as clans, or the traditional term, vor'r. It is interesting to note that across Telios Prime, the various populations of Telians all formed a similar type of clannish society, which has led to much theorization regarding communication between the various groups. Much of the early history of this civilization was destroyed following the Cataclysm and it may be difficult to positively identify the specific reasons that led to this sociological quirk. As clans grew in size, it was inevitable that the first large-scale conflicts would arise. Many of these conflicts led to the geographic dispersal of certain Telian '''subgroups, leading to many of the fundamental physiological changes we can observe in the general population today. Following the Cataclysm, the surviving '''Telians '''changed once again, adapting to the requirements of the day by creating groupings that went beyond the traditional subspecies grouping and clans to encompass all '''Telians '''as belonging to one large clan. This has greatly affected the current development of the '''Telian '''people. This change has also brought about significant modification of the '''Telian '''political structure. And following the development of democracy within the surviving '''Telian '''nations, it became apparent that the goals of all '''Telians '''were best served by creating a more centralized government, that could have a more planetary view of things. The diverse nations of Telios Prime had at least agreed that despite their physical differences, they were all in essence the same and therefore belonged to one group. Of course, like any sentient beings, '''Telians '''do not all agree on the same ideas and conflicts have existed within '''Telian '''culture for as long as can traced back in history. It was not with the greater understanding of their situation that they were able to put aside the simple differences between them. Political Analysis The current '''Telian political system is the federated democracy, which encompasses the six great nations of Telians on Telios Prime, as well as the colonies on Telios II and Telios III, is ruled by an elected President and his cabinet, made up of members from the Council of Elders. The President and his cabinet can be considered the executive branch of government. There is also an effective legislative branch of the government, the Unity, that is made up of elected members from National Councils, which are in turn made up of elected members of Regional Councils, which are in turn made up of elected members of Municipal Councils. This stepped system allows members serving in the Unity to have a full understanding of the day to day requirements of the Telian people on a local scale before attempting to deal with issues of a planetary scale. This became even more important once Telians began to colonize other planets within the Shiss System. Historical Analysis About 200000 years ago, Telios Prime was struck by an asteroid from the Shissian Belt, resulting in worldwide catastrophe. The total population of Telios Prime was reduced by almost 65% on impact, and casualties eventually resulted in a reduction of almost 80% of the total population. At the time, the Telian '''civilization had become settled from their original nomadic existence, having discovered agriculture and husbandry. Having quite recently developed written languages, some records survived even following the Cataclysm, which allowed the surviving '''Telians to help rebuild their civilization, by working together, as varied groups but one people. During later underwater explorations of the impact site of the Cataclysm, it was discovered that another, much older impact had once happened on Telios Prime. Careful measurements placed this first impact at a little more than 1.2 million years in the past, but with similar origins to the Great One. It was decided following this discovery that one of the primary goals of the Telian civilization would be getting to space, discovering the source of these asteroids and finding some way to prevent another disaster of this nature from happening in the future. The Telian Nation National Statistics There are six great nations within the Telian Federation, each one representative of one of the great clans of Telios Prime. Although many Telians are not direct descendants of one of the great clans, most choose to align themselves to one of them, in the hopes of gaining social and political acceptance. Clan System Legal System Military Although there are several branches of military services in Telian society, it is the Telian Space Protectorate that has caused the most excitement among young Telians. As military service is mandatory in one form or another, for a period of no less than 4 years, many young recruits hope to receive a posting within the TSP, although the standards for admittance are very high. The other large military branches are the Telian Planetary Force, and the Telian Naval Force. The TSP has been fulfilling the roles of an air wing, and as such this is also a part of their mandate. As their recruitment mandate warrants less stringent admittance requirements and standards, most Telians serve their mandatory term in one of these branches. Demographics Religion One of the primary tenets of Telian religious belief center on the concept of balance, both of self, but also of the environment that surrounds the self. As Telian began to understand their place in the Universal scale, this belief was further reinforced by the thought that this balance extended to the very furthest reaches of the Universe itself. In essence, the Universe tends towards a state of balance, with a distinct directionality to the flow of existence for Telians. Existence is seen as the fulcrum, which moves along the beam, changing the balance point, until balance is achieved. But as the fulcrum moves, so does the balance point, until eventually, balance can no longer be maintained and things begin or end, thereby restoring the initial state of balance. Telian religious beliefs vary within the various nations of Telians, but are represented by three fundamental schools of thought: #Non-assisted balance: This branch believes that the Universe balances itself and that any assistance in achieving this state is not required. #Assisted balance: This branch believes that the Universe balances itself and that sentience, being a manifestation of the Universe, is obviously created for the very purpose of assisting in the achievement of the goal of balance. #No balance: This branch believes that balance itself is a transitory state, with the end state being the ultimate goal. And since sentience is a manifestation of the Universe, it is obviously created for the purpose of facilitating the transition to the end state. Arts Telians have an extensive history of artistic work, and many art forms have been developed throughout their history. A current form, illan-taat, makes use of the wood from the illan tree to create beautiful expressive works. One famous artist, Analan Tanith-la, is considered one of the great masters of this form. Another very popular art form is the onori-atin, which makes use of the blending of odours to convey emotional content. Education Transportation Although there are several means of transportation available to the '''Telian '''citizen, transportation is distinctly broken down into two basic categories: air transportation and marine transportation. For more than 100 years, '''Telians '''have relied on personal and commercial air transport to travel relatively large planetary distances quickly. But since the surface of Telios Prime is partially covered by a large ocean, the tradition of craft to operate on and in this medium is even longer. Technology Category:Fauna of Telios Prime Category:Sentient species Category:Telios Prime